Midnight Moon

Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon

Swoon!

I'm late posting this... by a few years. Sometimes I start a review and get stuck. Words fail when I'm completely blown away by a cheese, so I have to pull back and think about it for a while. Time passes, and then I sample the product again and have the same reaction and wonder how I can do the cheese justice with my writing. So much of eating, especially tasting, is an experience, indescribable. I'm going to do my best and start by saying it's another hit from the wonderful cheesemakers at Cypress Grove. Midnight Moon is a goat milk Gouda that's sophisticated and captivating. Imagine a late-night date that includes a couple, each dressed in elegant attire, slow dancing under the stars to set the tone of this review. 

There are goat Goudas and then there's Midnight Moon. The latter is smooth, rich, inviting, and tangy but not sour. The texture is smoother and more velvety than most Goudas. How the same ingredients can turn into such different products always intrigues me, but, when it comes to cheese, much of the flavor and texture depends on the quality of ingredients, how the cheese is made, and, of course, the aging process. Despite the beautiful ivory interior of Midnight Moon, the taste is darker, more intriguing, and sexier than any other goat Gouda I have tried. There's a certain Je ne sais quoi about it, something like umami but for dairy. It's the difference between carob and chocolate. One is OK, and the other gets you excited because it's deeply complex and maybe hints at being a little bit naughty without crossing any lines it shouldn't.

Gouda or Goudse Kaas, one of the most popular dairy products in the world, is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the southern regions of the Netherlands. Midnight Moon is made in Holland, a little tidbit I learned recently. Gouda is most often yellow with a distinctive flavors that some describe as caramelly and nutty. The more the cheese ages, the deeper and richer the flavor becomes. The texture also changes as the cheese matures with crystals forming. There are two types of cheese crystals. One, calcium lactate - a crystaline salt, that causes the consistency to be more crumbly, crunchy even, and the other type of crystals that can form are protein-based, usually from amino acids like Tyrosine that are released and then group together during the aging process, leaving little crystal deposits behind as petite gifts. The crystals that form in Midnight Moon tend to be finer, less obvious grains but add just a bit of texture, especially as the cheese ages, and because this cheese is made with goat milk, the flavor is distinctive without being shocking.  

Crystals in traditional Gouda

With traditional Gouda, the cheese-making process includes a step called "washing the curd" in which some of the whey is drained and replaced with hot water after the milk is curdled. The same process is done with Colby, Havarti, Fontina, and a few other cheeses as well. This step removes some of the lactic acid, which, in turn, results in a milder, sweeter cheese, even though some of the lactose (milk sugar) is also reduced. The finished product has a low PH compared to most other aged cheeses. After the curds have had a chance to hang out at the bottom of the vat and knit, think more fusing together and less making sweaters, they are pressed, soaked in brine, air dried, and then left to ripen.

Curds knitting

This goat Gouda is made with vegetarian rennet and aged six months or more in caves. The flavor is often described as nutty and buttery with a goat tang that's not overwhelming. As the cheese develops, the flavor intensifies, and the texture becomes drier. In the early stages, there's a nice fruity and sweet taste, even a hint of caramel notes, that diminishes as the cheese matures and becomes tangier and bold. As you can imagine, awards seem to rain down on this unique product. 

Midnight Moon can be eaten plain, served with crackers and jam, eaten with fresh or dried fruit, added to sandwiches or baked noodle dishes, or partially melted on crusty bread. You can also serve this cheese with oat biscuits, chocolate graham crackers, or Rain Coast Crisp crackers, especially the hazelnut cranberry flavor. On the Cypress Grove website, there are recipes for Thumbprint Cookies and Midnight Moon® Baked Penne.

Raincoast Crisps

A Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Barbera D'Alba, or Pinot Blanc would pair nicely with Midnight Moon. This cheese also goes well with dessert or sweet wines such as Dubonnet Rouge (aperitif), Riesling, Sweet Sherry, and even a not too sweet Ruby Port. But I like interesting, not traditional pairings. If you're more into beer, the folks at Cypress Grove suggest a Belgian Dark, Stout, or Trippel. 

Laura Chenel Goat Brie

 

 

According to the Laura Chenel website, their 5-ounce creamy Brie is "an American twist on the traditional French cow's milk cheese." If one wants to get technical, no cheese outside of the region of Brie in France can be considered a true Brie, however, many cheeses are produced in a similar fashion resulting in a soft-ripened cheese with a white rind and a distinctive mushtoomy flavor. Brie-like goat cheeses have a long history in France. In fact, one of the more notable imported French goat Brie cheeses is Florette, a Brie-style cheese by Fromagerie Guilloteau, known for its extra smooth interior due to the ultrafiltration of the pasteurized goat mild before the curds are separated from the whey. This extra step does two things: 1. it removes some water from the milk. And 2. it causes clusters of fat to break down into smaller globules, which, in turn, leads to a smoother overall texture. Laura Chennel, touted as "America's first commercial producer of goat cheese," has certainly created a likable petite goat Brie, but I struggle to find the unique Brie flavor through the strong tang of the goat milk. The lovely aroma is there, though, and, for anyone considering it, I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to sample this aged goat cheese if offered.

While many goat Brie cheeses are milder in flavor than a ripe cow's milk Brie, this is not the case with the Laura Chenel version. In fact, the tang of the goat milk slightly overpowers the mushroom flavor, but there's a wonderful, subtle nutty flavor that's apparent if you let the paste linger on your tongue. As is the case with most soft-ripened goat cheeses, this adorable Brie-like product is firmer than its cow-milk counterpart. Inside the very thin bloomy rind is a smooth paste that's creamy and satisfying and slightly rubbery but not in a bad way. Overall, it's a nice texture. There are a noticeable salty flavor and a slight twist of lemon that's barely detectable but still uplifts this little cheese and gives it a general lightness. It might be a bit much for some, but I love the powerful goaty tang that surprises the taste buds. Despite the strong goaty notes, the finish is clean without any long lingering pungency. 

A notable difference between Brie and other soft-ripened cheeses in the United States is that the Brie in France is relatively young and is made with raw cow's milk. US laws require any raw-milk cheeses to be aged at least 60 days, nearly double the aging time of French Brie. To bypass the aging requirements, imported Brie from France or elsewhere often begins with pasteurized milk instead of raw milk, which changes the flavor. According to the Laura Chenel website, all of their cheeses are made with fresh pasteurized milk in beautiful Sonoma County in California where the creamery is located. Vegetarians will be happy to know that the rennet used is not animal-based. Because Laura Chenel uses pasteurized milk, the cheese doesn't have to be aged longer than usual, and, for this product, in particular, the process is 9-14 days.

If you've ever been curious about why goat's milk cheeses, especially fresh chevre, are beautifully snow-white, it's because goats have the unique ability to convert carotene found in the grasses and hay they eat into colorless vitamin A or retinol. Cows, on the other hand, have a low-enzyme activity for this kind of conversion and end up storing the carotene in their fat. The result of the fat globules that end up in milk, interestingly enough, is that the protein and membranes around the fat shield the color from view, making the milk look white. During the cheese-making process, though, the fat membranes dissolve and the protein clusters disperse or loosen, and the color, usually yellow or gray, is then exposed. AH HA! Orange cheese is another story and is most often colored with added anatto. 

 

It's no surprise that the Laura Chenel company has won many awards. Just this goat Brie alone has placed first or come in runner up in at least four major events. According to the Laura Chenel website, Laura Chenel's foray into cheese making began in the following way:

After spending 10 years working and studying in Europe, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, Laura Chenel returned home to Sonoma County, undecided about her life’s direction. She was eager to return to the land so that she could be self-sufficient. As she was particularly concerned about eating and cooking healthy, natural foods, and having always been intrigued by goats, she decided to buy her first goats. As the herd continued to grow, Laura became attached to them. As the quantity of milk increased, she felt responsible for the milk and wanted to transform it into something that would pay tribute to its makers; therefore, she found herself drawn to cheese-making.

Like other bloomy rind cheeses, this fun little find is best served on crusty French bread, crackers, or eaten with fresh or dry fruit. It can be used in both hot or cold sandwiches or in pasta dishes. It can also be prepared in a pastry crust with caramelized onions, apricot jam, or chopped toasted pecans on top. 

Goat Bries in general pair well with white wines such as Sauvignon blanc, Chablis, pinot grigio, or Cotes de Gascognelavor. Because of the tanginess of this cheese, I would add a Beaujolais to this list, and if you're a beer lover, try it with a Belgian-style ale.

Get ready for more soft-ripened cheese reviews. I'm on a roll and have a few on the menu, so stay tuned!